Mary C

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: WASHINGTON NATIONALS: C | Keibert Ruiz FB | Luke Voit SB | Luis Garcia S | C.J. Abrams TB | Cesar Hernandez LF | Yadiel Hernandez CF | Lane Thomas RF | Joey Meneses DH | Nelson Cruz SAN DIEGO PADRES: C | Jorge Alfaro FB | Eric Hosmer SB | Jake Cronenworth S | Ha-seong Kim TB | Manny Machado LF | Jurickson Profar CF | Trent Grisham RF | Will Myers DH | Luke Voit It’s the worst team in the league versus the most controversial team at the moment for August 19. Headed to Petco Park, welcomed by the San Diego Padres, the Washington Nationals will try their hardest not to be another punching bag for all the other teams in the league. The San Diego Padres, on the other hand, will try to play business as usual as they face controversy surrounding shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. To each their own struggles, we suppose. The Nationals are coming into the game to represent the National League East wherein they place fifth. With a 39-79 record, they are at the bottom of the dogpile in the majors at 30th place. For Friday’s game, Paolo Espino is expected to pitch. Espino has exhibited decent and dedicated performance as of late, and his numbers can be found below. Playing home, the Padres are comparatively in a stellar position. Eighth in the MLB, the team has won 65 games and lost 54. Their recent games include losing twice to the Miami Marlins and winning twice against the Nationals in the August 13-15 series. As they’ve shown better luck and strategy playing against the Nationals last week, we can’t help but notice their advantage. Their problem now is the suspension of Fernando Tatis Jr. due to findings of performance-enhancing drugs in his system. The controversy is expected to put much more stress and pressure on the team, and this may largely affect their play. ERA WHIP IP H K BB HR WSH - Espino 4.20 1.29 81.1 90 61 15 16 SD - Snell 3.66 1.27 78.2 64 105 36 6 In the end, it is two teams thrust into unpleasant situations. The objective for them now is to see who is resilient enough to push through. The Washington Nationals have the disadvantage of observing lower stress levels than their opponents; however, they have displayed a chaotic and consistently unpracticed run thus far. Ultimately, we side with the Padres regardless of their adversity. The Padres have greater caliber and skill to finish Washington off as they are not reliant on Tatis either. It is another home win for the San Diego Padres. 9:40 AM (PST), Friday, 19 August 2022. Petco Park, San Diego, CA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: ATLANTA BRAVES: C | William Contreras FB | Matt Olson SB | Orlando Arcia S | Dansby Swanson TB | Austin Riley LF | Eddie Rosario CF | Michael Harris RF | Ronald Acuna DH | Marcell Ozuna NEW YORK METS: C | Tomas Nido FB | Pete Alonso SB | Luis Guillorme S | Francisco Lindor TB | Eduardo Escobar LF | Mark Canha CF | Brandon Nimmo RF | Starling Marte DH Jeff McNeil If we’re talking about glow-ups, then this matchup might just showcase the best teams for them. From finishing 20th and 12th in the ‘21 season, the Mets and Braves are in second and fifth in the majors right now, respectively. In the coming game, this Wednesday at the SunTrust Park in Atlanta, Georgia, the New York Mets are coming in hot after sweeping both the Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies. En route back home, the Atlanta Braves have also swept the Boston Red Sox and Miami Marlins. These NL East teams are on a rampage, and it’s hard to see who will be outdoing the other in their series. Usually overshadowed by the Yankees, the Mets have exceptionally proved themselves this season. During the first half of the season, they drifted around third to fifth place in the league, but now they’ve risen higher than the Yankees and have the chance to dethrone the Dodgers. Standing with 75 wins and 40 losses, they’re in a tight spot with the Houston Astros (75-41), so there’s good motivation for them to outperform the Braves besides continuing their win streak. Carlos Carrasco leads the team’s recent games. With similar tidings on Atlanta’s side, the Braves’ success has been led by Bryce Elder and young Michael Harris. The two have shone brightly in their last games among others with Elder delivering seven innings and Harris pulling a clutch homerun. One of their trademarks this season is that one cannot count the Atlanta Braves to have lost up until the final second. Apart from their skills, the Braves practice this triumphant mentality in their games. With a barrage of talents, possibilities are endless for Atlanta, and it’s something the Mets need to watch out for. For Wednesday, we expect nothing short of a fiery game from both sides, especially with how far they’ve come and how exemplary they’ve been lately. One final consideration for the upcoming game is their recent series. The two have undergone a series of five games just this August 5-8 whereas the Atlanta Braves only came on top in game two, surrendering four wins to the New York Mets. Considering how relatively fresh this series was, we’re going to have to give our pick to the Mets. They’ve shown to have a grasp of how the Braves play, and that is a sizable advantage enough to take down the team. To make things interesting, we can only hope the Braves play it up to avoid being predictable, but of course, they probably will. 7:20 AM (PST), Wednesday, 17 August 2022. SunTrust Park, Atlanta, GA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: NEW YORK YANKEES: C | Kyle Higashioka FB | Anthony Rizzo SB | DJ LeMahieu S | Isaiah Kiner-Falefa TB | Josh Donaldson LF | Joey Gallo CF | Aaron Hicks RF | Aaron Judge DH | Giancarlo Stanton TAMPA BAY RAYS: C | Francisco Mejia FB | Ji-Man Choi SB | Brandon Lowe S | Taylor Walls TB | Yandy Diaz LF | David Peralta CF | Jose Siri RF | Randy Arozarena DH | Harold Ramirez Airing at 7:05 AM in the Philippines, Yankee Stadium will be welcoming another opponent this Tuesday coming from Florida. The Tampa Bay Rays are fresh off an 8-2 win against the Baltimore Orioles as of this writing. The Yankees are also enjoying a much-needed vengeful 3-2 result in their second match against the Boston Red Sox before heading into Tuesday’s game. It’s no secret that both teams are struggling, the Yankees mainly, but with their recent wins there might be a slither of hope forming for better coming days. For their series of three, let’s see who’s more likely to win their opening day. Starting with our esteemed home team, New York has won 72 and lost 42 games. As of late, they’ve been unfortunate with only two wins per their last 10 games. Suffering losses at the hands of the Red Sox, Mariners, Cardinals, and Royals, it’s not what anyone would’ve expected from the Yankees. They’ve always been known to be the “better NY team”, but now, the Mets rank second in the entire league while falling to fourth. Though still one of the leading NY teams, we’ve analyzed what’s been causing their poor performance, and we’ve found it’s due to injuries and plain old cold streaks. While injuries aren’t taking over the team, the injured players Giancarlo Stanton, Michael King, Luis Severino, and Matt Carpenter are all key players. On the other side of this intradivision head-to-head, the Tampa Bay Rays rank third in AL East, recently overtaking the Orioles. With 61-51, they’ve landed 13th in the MLB, which was quite the distance from finishing third last season. They’ve had a record of 5-5 per their last 10 games and currently sporting a .237 average. Their preceding matches consisted of winning and losing once to the Baltimore Orioles, losing twice to the Milwaukee Brewers, and winning three in a series of four against the Detroit Tigers. Jeffrey Springs is expected to pitch for the team for Tuesday’s game, and it’s looking bright considering his impressive stats. To round this up, while both teams are far from expected to show their maximum potential for their series, we can’t help but root for the Tampa Bay Rays. They’re at a numerical disadvantage in terms of players and team stats against a team like the Yankees who started the season strong. The odds are stacked against the Yankees, especially with their cold streak. The Rays offer better consistency by comparison. It’s another loss at home for the Yankees. Tuesday, August 16, 2022. Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: NEW YORK YANKEES: C | Jose Trevino FB | Anthony Rizzo SB | DJ LeMahieu S | Isaiah Kiner-Falefa TB | Josh Donaldson LF | Andrew Benintendi CF | Harrison Bader RF | Aaron Judge DH | Giancarlo Stanton BOSTON RED SOX: C | Kevin Plawecki FB | Eric Hosmer SB | Trevor Story S | Xander Bogaerts TB | Rafael Devers LF | Tommy Pham CF | Enrique Hernandez RF | Alex Verdugo DH | J.D. Martinez One of the most cutthroat rivalries, not just in baseball, but in all American sports— it’s the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry in Major League Baseball. To this day, this fiery strife has carried on, no matter how far away they are from each other across the board. For their last game in their series of three on Monday, with game one already belonging to the Boston Red Sox, we’re more than certain of the lengths they’ll go to keep winning against their rivals. The question is, will the Yankees be able to maintain their glory before they run out of time? 7:05 AM at the Yankee Stadium, August 15, 2022. Visiting from the American League East, the Boston Red Sox won 3-2 in Saturday's game regardless of the lead the Yankees had during the early game. As if proving they’re not just a little detour into their journey back to being the kings of the MLB, Boston made sure they give the Yankees grief even though they rank all the way at 16th on the board. The Red Sox might definitely be the underdog on paper, but the Yankees have gone off the rails, quickly losing an important edge to their play. Michael Wacha, with an ERA of 2.69 and a WHIP of 1.11 is expected to pitch for Boston in game three. Despite playing home, the New York Yankees have submitted their first game to the Red Sox. Prior to that, they’ve also lost twice to the Seattle Mariners. They’re sliding down the ladder quite quickly, and Boston can easily take advantage of that plight if they play their cards right. Down to fourth in the league with 71-42, their most neck-and-neck rival, the LA Dodgers, have surpassed them and now presently reign with 78-33. Being so strong and consistent on top during the first half of the season, there’s a chance that they might have unfortunately peaked too early. Of their last 10 games, they’ve lost nine, and that’s not something you’d expect from the Yankees, let alone their opponents being the Mariners and Cardinals during those losses. Jameson Taillon is expected to pitch for the upcoming game with an IP of 120.2 and 18 HR. In the end, only one can come on top of the diamond in Yankee Stadium. One team is undoubtedly more chaotic than the other, and as surprising as it is during this part of the season, the Yankees are blowing it. We are gunning for the Boston Red Sox for game three, and we hope this fuels their rivalry even further to keep things exciting. All in a day’s work. 7:05 AM (PST), Monday, 15 August 2022. Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: CHELSEA F.C.: G | Kepa Arrizabalaga CB | Thiago Silva, Kurt Zouma L FB | Ben Chilwell R FB | Cesar Azpilicueta C MF | N’Golo Kanté, Mateo Kovacic A MF | Kai Havertz LW | Christian Pulisic RW | Hakin Ziyech S | Timo Werner TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS: G | Hugo Lloris CB | Joe Rodon, Eric Dier L FB | Sergio Reguilón R FB | Matt Doherty C MF | Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg L MF | Tanguy Ndombele R MF | Giovani Lo Celso W | Son Heung-Min, Lucas Moura CF | Harry Kane Across the EPL board, as the season has newly begun, Chelsea and Tottenham both share a win, yet the Hotspurs place first and Chelsea on the eighth. At present, Tottenham’s advantage is their four goals compared to Chelsea's lone goal, but then again, it’s barely considered an advantage this early on in the season. In the 2021-22’s season, Chelsea finished third with 21-11-6 while Tottenham finished right behind with 22-5-11. Though the two teams are not each other’s main rivals like Tottenham and Arsenal, they’ve had a particular rivalry, especially among fans, that dates back to the 1967 FA Cup Final wherein Spurs won 2-1. Succeeding that victory however, Tottenham seemed to have gotten cursed with a grim record at Stamford Bridge, only winning one of their last 37 matches, one of 37. Head coach, Antonio Conte, was in charge when two of the aforementioned defeats last season happened. Spurs lost 2-nil semifinal of the first leg of their League Cup. For this season, though, there’s quite the optimistic outlook seen in favor of the Spurs, even against Chelsea and the rest of the ‘big 6’. Alternatively, the warmth and optimism that the Tottenham Hotspurs are welcomed with this season do not surround the home team, Chelsea. The team’s new ownership inevitably led to changes in management and playmaking. These changes have put a sizable disadvantage on Chelsea, with some saying it has made them lose the edge that gave them the caliber to be European champions in the past. With their upcoming feat against the Spurs, these events may result in an uninspired performance. Chelsea may need to pull out something unexpected to shut their critics up, and luckily for them, it seems they already have. They just need to make sure it’s unpredictable enough for the Spurs to be unable to circumvent it. The supposed move coach Thomas Tuchel plans to pull is to swap Christian Pulisin for Roma’s Nicolo Zaniolo, who even Tottenham wants. Ultimately, swapped or not, we’ll stick our neck out and actually go against the Tottenham Hotspurs and follow Chelsea’s lead. While there are definitely changes that will rock their boat, it’s nothing the Stamford Bridge boys can’t handle. 11:30 PM (PST), Sunday, August 14, 2022. Stamford Bridge, Chelsea, UK.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: TORONTO F.C.: GK | Alex Bono LB | Domenico Criscito RB | Richie Laryea CB | Chris Mavinga, Lukas MacNaughton CM | Jayden Nelson, Jonathan Osorio DM | Michael Bradley LW | Lorenzo Insigne CF | Jesús Jiménez RW | Federico Bernardeschi PORTLAND TIMBERS: GK | Aljaz Ivacic LB | Justin Rasmussen RB | José Van Rankin CB | Dario Župarić CB | Larrys Mabiala MF | Yimmi Chará MF | George Fochive MF | Cristhian Paredes CF | Tega Ikoba F | Dairon Asprilla F | Nathan Fogaça It’s lucky 7 versus unlucky 13 in this fixture of Major League Soccer. Sunday morning, 7:30 AM (PST), the Portland Timbers will be swinging by Toronto’s BMO Field for a game of footie against Toronto FC. Portland Timbers. The Timbers are currently seventh in the West, meaning they’ve clinched the last seat for the Finals Series Play-Offs in the West. With their most recent game having been a draw, 1-1 against Dallas at Providence Park, they have now raised their unbeaten streak to 10; four being wins and six draws. Toronto FC. This Canadian team is in what most people believe is an unlucky number: 13. They’ve earned 13th place, aka the second-worst ranking in the Eastern Conference, with 7-5-12. However, at least Toronto won their last majors match at GEODIS Park against Nashville SC. This win lengthened their unbeaten streak up to three; two wins and one draw. The exciting part is, if we’re solely basing our predictions on this information, Toronto has a strong chance of winning, especially since they beat Nashville, which ranks higher than Portland in the West. Taking a look at their last five matchups, it’s only spanned one game a year from 2015 to 2019. In those five, Toronto only managed two wins which were in 2015 and 2017. Portland has managed to snag three wins from Toronto while also keeping better numbers this season. Portland is seven goals ahead in total goals compared to Toronto, has a goal difference of four while their opponents sport a negative eight (-8), and lastly, a five-point advantage in total assists. It’s clear that the Portland Timbers are the better team, both on paper and on performance, against the underdogs playing home. With this, we wholeheartedly see Portland pulling a win, especially as they’ve got a good undefeated streak going. Besides that, Nashville’s defeat is also both a lesson and a warning for them to avoid underestimating Toronto as tempting as it may be. Regardless, the Portland Timbers are taking the cake this Sunday, straight from the BMO Field. 7:30 AM (PST), Sunday, 14 August 2022. BMO Field, Toronto, Canada

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS:- SOUTHAMPTON: GK | Gavin Bazunu L WB | Carlos Salcedo R WB | Kyle Walker-Peters L CB | Mohammed Salisu R CB | Yann Valery CB | Jan Bednarek C MF | Romeo Lavia, Oriol Romeu, James Ward-Prowse CF | Adam Armstrong, Joe Aribo LEEDS UNITED: GK | Illan Meslier CB | Diego Llorente, Robin Koch LB | Pascal Struijk RB | Rasmus Kristensen D MF | Tyler Adams, Marc Roca A MF | Jack Harrison, Rodrigo, Brenden Aaronson F | Patrick Bamford With the Premier League returning once again, we got Southampton butting heads with Leeds United this Saturday, August 13, at St. Mary’s Stadium in Southampton City, England. As we are all curious to see who will win this intriguing matchup, here are our thoughts: Currently, Southampton has been in a bit of a tough spot standing at a disappointing 20th place in the English Premier League. They have only been able to secure one win in the last ten games that they’ve played (including club friendlies). At the moment, they are currently looking to bounce back after their poor start in the Premier League and a crushing defeat by Tottenham. James Ward-Prowse scored their first goal of the League; however, Southampton has to step up their game if they are looking to move their way up the English Premier League ranks. Looking over at the other end of the pitch, Leeds United currently stands in 7th in the English Premier League with one win as of yet, with Rodrigo scoring their first goal in the League. In the last ten games that they’ve played outside the League, they have only been able to secure three wins, two draws, and four losses. When looking at the history between the two teams, Southampton has been dominating Leeds having won four out of the five games last played across the Premier League, the Championship, and League One. However, they are not to be underestimated, having a historical record of 47 wins out of the total 96 games played between the two. Taking into account how Leeds United have been playing so far, it is looking like the odds are in their favor against Southampton in the upcoming English Premier League match. 10:00 P.M (PST), Saturday, August 13, 2022. St. Mary's Stadium, Southampton city, England.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: CHICAGO SKY: PG | Courtney Vandersloot SG | Allie Quigley SF | Candace Parker PF | Kahleah Copper C | Emma Meesseman LAS VEGAS ACES: PG | Chelsea Gray SG | Kelsey Plum SF | Kiah Stokes PF | A'ja Wilson C | Jackie Young As the Women’s NBA is coming to its end on the 15th, this August 12, 10 AM in Philippine Standard Time, Chicago Sky and the Las Vegas Aces are set to go head-to-head for their last matchup this season. Sky will be coming over to the Las Vegas Michelob ULTRA Arena to seal the deal with hopes of recovering from their 11-point deficit loss to the Seattle Storm. CHICAGO SKY Being in the most commanding position in the Eastern Conference and the WNBA as a whole, Chicago Sky won four of their last five games. Boasting a record of 25-9, 14-4 were obtained at home and 11-5 away. The Chicago team has an average of 86.2 points per game, 80.5 points against, and a field goal percentage of 48.1. Kahleah Copper leads the team’s points with 15.4 PPG, 47.7 FG%, and 76.3 FT% while Courtney Vandersloot leads assists with 6.6 APG, 2.6 TOPG, and 26.7 MPG. LAS VEGAS ACES So far in the season, the Las Vegas Aces stand in first place in the Western Conference, securing 24 wins and 10 losses, earning them a total of .706 points. In the last five games that they’ve played, they have been able to slightly tilt the games in their favor with three wins and two losses. There is no doubt the Aces play an impressive game with such a cohesive team and above-average players. Las Vegas Aces team leaders include Kelsey Plum who holds 19.9 points per game, Chelsey Gray with 6.1 assists per game, and A’ja Wilson with a 50.1 Field Goal Percentage. However, it is questionable on whether the impressive cohesion and players the Aces have in their pocket are enough to secure a win against the superstars that are the Chicago Sky. OUR VERDICT With the friction among these teams, there is reason for us to believe that the upcoming match between the two highly regarded teams will create a lot of heat. The two teams are in tip-top shape, and one is only performing slightly better than the other. However, as close as the match may come to be, this game seems to be in favor of Chicago Sky. Friday, 12 August 2022. Michelob ULTRA Arena, Las Vegas, NV.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: REAL MADRID: G | Thibaut Courtois CB | David Alaba, Eder Militao L FB | Ferland Mendy R FB | Dani Carvajal C MF | Casemiro L MF | Toni Kroos R MF | Luka Modric W | Vinicius Junior, Marco Asensio CF | Karim Benzema EINTRACHT FRANKFURT: G | Rafael Borré CB | Jesper Lindstrøm, Mario Götze L MF | Ansgar Knauff C MF | Sebastian Rode, Djibril Sow R MF | Filip Kostić LF | Almamy Touré CF | Lucas Melo RF | Evan Ndicka S | Kevin Trapp In a quest to replace the current UEFA Super Cup Champion, Chelsea F.C., Real Madrid from the UEFA Champions League, and Eintracht Frankfurt from the UEFA Europa League, will be locking horns for the Super Cup final. August 11th, 3 AM (PST), at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium in Finland, it’s time for one of the teams to take the title. It was May 18, 1960, and the European Cup final was held at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland. Six decades since their last match, and more importantly, Frankfurt’s defeat in the 7-3 victory of Madrid, there is great historical strife between the two teams in Thursday’s game. They have never crossed paths since (besides a friendly back in 2008), so we can expect Frankfurt is waiting to exact their revenge on the Champions League representative. The German team’s manager, Oliver Grasner, expressed his confidence in his team and their chances to snag the Super Cup even though they are up against one of the best, if not the best club in the world, who happen to be masters in the final game. They are considered the underdog in this matchup even though they have clearly dominated the Europa League. Carlo Ancelloti, Madrid’s club manager, on the other hand, has not and is not showing any indication that he is willing to settle for anything less than the final win. Historically, the Champions League bets are usually favored in lifting the Super Cup, so Real Madrid has that going for them along with their relentless play and high-caliber players. The team just needs to steer clear of complacency to avoid Frankfurt from blindsiding them. An explosive match awaits fans, viewers, and the teams themselves for such high stakes. With glory and a trophy on the line, we are siding with Real Madrid. While Eintracht Frankfurt has the deep-seated motivation of exacting revenge on their defeat from decades ago, Madrid is chock-full of distinguished players and one of the most managers of this day and age. The biggest expectation now is for the two teams to live up to what once was ‘the greatest matchup”, but other than that, Madrid is likely to come out on top once again. UEFA Super Cup — 3 AM (PST), 11 August 2022. Helsinki Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: ATLANTA BRAVES: C | William Contreras FB | Matt Olson SB | Orlando Arcia S | Dansby Swanson TB | Austin Riley LF | Eddie Rosario CF | Michael Harris RF | Ronald Acuns DH | Marcell Ozuna BOSTON RED SOX: C | Kevin Plawecki FB | Eric Hosmer SB | Christian Arroyo S | Xander Bogaerts TB | Rafael Devers LF | Tommy Pham CF | Jarren Duran RF | Alex Verdugo DH | J.D. Martinez With the numbers coming in closer than ever, these two teams are coming into their faceoff with almost similar outcomes from their last series; the Boston Red Sox have won one and lost two games against the Kansas City Royals while the Atlanta Braves have won one and lost three games against the New York Mets. Both teams still have to battle their opponents one last time before the Braves vs. Red Sox series this August 10 and 11 at Fenway Park, courtesy of the Boston Red Sox. In the hope of lengthening their win or breaking their losing streaks, the two teams are on a mission to avoid sliding further down the boards in their interconference match. Hanging on for dear life, the Atlanta Braves have landed on the major’s top five in their impressive run this season. Finishing 12th in the 2021 season, the Bravos have more than two months to climb up further or make a mess of themselves this ‘22. Austin Riley leads the team's home runs with 29 and a batting average of .296. The expected pitcher for Wednesday’s game is Kyle Wright, and his stats are shown in the table below. The Red Sox, on the other hand, are not doing so hot this season. Despite finishing seventh last season, the Boston team is currently 17th in the MLB with 54-55 and sitting behind the Baltimore Orioles in the AL East. Yikes. Looks like all that talk about their lack of depth and poor management were true after all. The Red Sox’s leading pitcher, Nick Pivetta, has an ERA of 4.51 which is quite the gap from the pitching leader of the Braves, Max Fried, with 2.60. His other stats are as seen below. Pitcher Statistics ERA WHIP IP H K BB HR ATL - Wright 3.22 1.17 128.2 112 124 38 15 BOS - Pivetta 4.51 1.33 123.2 120 119 45 17 In the end, the predicted victor of Wednesday’s match is more obvious than we’d like. While the Bravos have suffered three losses from the NY Mets in their current series, their opponents are also frontrunners in the MLB which is pretty understandable. Boston’s losses, however, are a different story. They’ve lost twice to Kansas City Royals, the fourth worst team on the board, in a series of four. What such fate will they receive from Atlanta if they can’t even handle the Royals? It’s the Atlanta Braves for August 10, 2022. 7:10 AM (PST), Wednesday, 10 August 2022. Fenway Park, Boston, MA.

The Chinese team PSG.LGD is prepared to dominate the Arlington Major playoffs, which will take place from August 9 to August 14. They have only suffered one loss thus far throughout Group A's group stage. BOOM Esports, on the other hand, once again brought honor to Indonesia. After putting up a valiant fight in the group round, BOOM Esports was able to earn a spot in the Arlington Major 2022's upper bracket. The only esports team from Indonesia that has qualified for the upper bracket of the 2022 Major playoffs is BOOM Esports. According to the results of the group stage, PSG.LGD defeated Soniqs or Quincy Crew only once while winning 13 games overall. BOOM Esports in the Arlington Major 2022 Group Stage BOOM Esports successfully displayed a brilliant performance by defeating EG and holding Tundra to a tie on the first day of the group stage. However, on the second day of the 2022 Arlington Major, BOOM Esports had to endure two heartbreaking losses. They suffered consecutive 2-0 losses to Entity and Beastcoast. Not giving up, BOOM Esports triumphed, defeating Na'Vi 2-0 and keeping Team Aster, the top team in group B, to a tie. Arlington Major Playoffs Format In the playoffs, the top four teams from each group will be placed in the upper bracket while the fifth- and sixth-place teams will continue their Major run in the lower bracket. Each group's final two teams will be the ones to leave the competition. Matches will be contested in best-of-three sets during the double-elimination playoffs. A best-of-five series will be used to determine the winner of the Grand Final, which will determine the Major champions and who will receive the majority of the US$500,000 prize money. Depending on where they place, players will also receive a total of 4,570 DPC points. The playoffs will be more of a challenge for BOOM Esports. On August 9, 2022, at 10:00 WIB, BOOM Esports will take on PSG.LGD. To ensure that you don't miss the opportunity to support BOOM Esports, be sure to take note of the schedule.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LEICESTER CITY: G | Danny Ward CB | Jonny Evans, Wesley Fofana L FB | Timothy Castagne R FB | James Justin C MF | Wilfred Ndidi, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall D MF | Youri Tielemans L MF | Harvey Barnes AM | James Maddison CF | Jamie Vardy BRENTFORD: G | David Raya CB | Pontus Jansson, Ben Mee L FB | Rico Henry, Aaron Hickey R FB | Bryan Mbeumo C MF | Mathias Jensen, D MF | Vitaly Janelt, Christian Nørgaard L MF | Keane Lewis-Potter CF | Ivan Toney This is it, folks! For the second day of the EPL’s new season, it seems it’s a bully versus the bullied for this Leicester City versus Brentford fixture. After defeating Brentford in all four of their previous matchups, Brentford is ready to face them once again for Sunday’s visit. 9 PM (PST) at the King Power Stadium at Leicester City, here’s what we’ve gathered of the Premier League action that’s about to unfold. Starting with our home team, Leicester City a.k.a. The Foxes, they evidently have a previous head-to-head advantage. As aforementioned, they’ve beaten Brentford four times; two of which were in the EPL and two in the English FA Cup. In terms of preseason training, their last five club-friendly matches consisted of four wins and a draw against Sevilla, Preston North End, Derby County, Hull City, and Oud Heverlee Leuven, respectively. However, as swimmingly as training went, Harvey Barnes and Ricardo Pereira sustained injuries in their game against Sevilla. Manager Brendan Rogers notes that while Barnes’ knee strain isn’t likely to be severe, Pereira admittedly does not look all too good. For the upcoming game, we’ll be seeing familiar faces all around as the Foxes have been missing out on transfer market action, and Kasper Schmeichel, the team’s long-serving goalkeeper, has bid them farewell just as the season was about to start. As for the humble visitors, Brentford has offered a pleasant surprise to the league as they finished 13th for the ‘21-’22’s season. Compared to Leicester finishing 8th, this might seem underwhelming, but for a team like Brentford, this was an overachievement no one expected. At present, they’ve been exceedingly active in the transfer market, with some even saying they’ve taken the players the Foxes would usually go for. They’ve obtained Keane Lewis-Potter, Aaron Hickey, and Thomas Strakosha while holding on to players Ivan Toney and Christian Norgaard. With their lineup right now, they could reproduce and maybe even improve last season’s bearings. Alas, while a good streak is not something to rely on especially this early in the season, and with Leicester finishing last season being inconsistent, Brentford proves to have a chance with their new recruits. Nevertheless, while we’ve mentioned that Brentford does have the capacity to better last season’s results, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll win against Leicester City or not at this point at least. The Foxes have the players to send Brentford tumbling once again, regardless of Brentford’s newcomers. 9 PM Philippine Standard Time, 7 August 2022. King Power Stadium, LEI.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: ARSENAL: G | Aaron Ramsdale CB | Gabriel, Ben White L FB | Kiernan Tierney R FB | Takehiro Tomiyasu C MF | Granit Xhaka, Thomas Partey A MF | Martin Odegaard W | Emile Smith Rowe, Nicolas Pepe CF | Alexandre Lacazette CRYSTAL PALACE: G | Vicente Guaita CB | Joel Ward, Marc Guéhi, Joachim Andersen L FB | Jeffrey Schlupp R FB | Cheick Doucouré C MF | Eberechi Eze LF | Wilfried Zaha RF | Odsonne Édouard CF | Jordan Ayew Opening the English Premier League ‘22-’23 this August 6, at none other than Selhurst Park, it’s Crystal Palace F.C. versus Arsenal F.C. For the season coming, Arsenal will be spending their weekend away from the comforts of home this Saturday night as they pay the Eagles a visit. Being given the honor to kickstart the season, manager Mikel Arteta has high hopes this time around as Arsenal is in a better, more superior position now in comparison to this time last year. The Gunners have also produced a striking preseason in addition to finishing fifth in EPL’s ‘21-’22 season, making fans, analysts, and critics seemingly optimistic about their odds in ‘22-’23. Crystal Palace, on the other hand, isn’t expected to perform as strongly by comparison. They finished at a decent 12 last season out of 20 teams, but their preparations haven’t been optimal for the upcoming season. A hitch on the road they’ve faced within that period is when ten senior players were barred from traveling to Australia for their tour last month, setting them back. Regardless, this isn’t to say the Eagles will be an easy target for Arsenal this Saturday. Let’s not forget who won their last head-to-head back on April 5; Crystal Palace trampled on the Gunners with a 3-0 finish. Specifically for Saturday’s match, here’s what we’ve gathered: Arsenal has had excellent preseason training, and the firepower to give the Eagles a hard time, and Crystal Palace will be without Michael Olise which has manager Patrick Vieira bothered to a certain degree. Looking at the bigger picture, Crystal Palace has a well-balanced and optimal roster right now and has enough skill to get the Gunners on their toes. We’ve seen what the Eagles can do as they gave Arsenal a beating last April, but the thing is, lightning doesn’t usually hit the same place twice. Arsenal will fight back this time around, rather harder than before, and we’re afraid Crystal Palace will suffer the first loss of this season. It’s 2-1 in favor of Arsenal. 3 AM (PST), Saturday, 6 August 2022. Selhurst Park, London, UK.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LOS ANGELES DODGERS: C | Will Smith FB | Freddie Freeman SB | Gavin Lux S | Trea Turner TB | Justin Turner LF | Chris Taylor CF | Cody Bellinger RF | Mookie Betts DH | Max Muncy SAN DIEGO PADRES: C | Jorge Alfaro FB | Eric Hosmer SB | Jake Cronenworth S | Ha-seong Kim TB | Manny Machado LF | Jurickson Profar CF | Trent Grisham RF | Will Myers DH | Luke Voit In the National League West, the two top dogs are battling it out this Saturday in a quest for triumph. At the Dodger Stadium in the sunny state of California, the San Diego Padres are visiting the Los Angeles Dodgers following their last bout on July 4. In their last four-game series in July, Dodgers won three, but the Padres won their last match of the month. Now, a new player that has joined the Padres is stirring the pot. Will he be the one to dictate the trajectory of the match? Walking into the Dodger Stadium, the Padres will have been done with the Colorado Rockies with an expected sweep. They’ve also recently welcomed superstar Juan Soto, along with Josh Bell, and Brandon Drury. It was a fruitful match with 9-1 in favor of the Padres with Soto on the team. While he technically wasn’t the starring player in that game, his presence made a difference in morale and motivation. Their last game was even said to have an electric atmosphere according to the goers. This also proves that the Padres are vicious regardless, that their success isn’t dependent on Soto, but rather he’s a tool to achieve better success. He’s a brilliant addition to an already brilliant team. Steady at home, the Dodgers are also one victory away from sweeping the San Francisco Giants in their four-game series. Presently dominating the majors across the board, they’re two losses ahead of their closest rival, the New York Yankees. It’s no mystery that they’ve been a regular frontrunner for majors, but it still doesn’t guarantee a 100% success rate, of course. If we take a look at their probable pitcher, Andrew Heaney, next to the Padres’ Mike Clevinger, he has an outstanding ERA of .77 while Clevinger immediately seems less impressive with his 3.13. With statistics and numbers alone, they have the upper hand. However, their disadvantage right now is how they failed to acquire Soto, one of the most prized prospects of this season, by letting the San Diego Padres outbid them. Our baseball senses tell us that the San Diego Padres will ultimately come out on top. We have Soto to thank for that but not solely because of his abilities per sé, but his effect on the team. There’s also the incentive of bragging rights of winning against the MLB’s tyrant. That and the momentum they’re engulfed in right now, it’s a clean, supercharged win for the Padres, and we can’t wait to see it. 10:10 AM (PST), Saturday, 6 August 2022. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA.

The opening stage of the PGL Arlington Major 2022 in Dota 2 will continue with matchups on Friday. The matchup between Natus Vincere and the Chinese Team Aster in Group A will be one of the most captivating games for Russian-speaking spectators; it will begin on August 5 at 11:00 PM (PST). Natus Vincere Sadly, the Born to Win confirmed their status as a very fragile team on the first day of the competition. NAVI's loss to Entity Gaming with a stand-in at the start of the group stage and subsequent difficult victory over the Peruvian beastcoast left the audience's opinions of their performance unclear. Team Aster On the other hand, the Chinese team won both of its games on the PGL Arlington Major's opening game day. Representatives of the Celestial Empire boldly gained control of Evil Geniuses first, and then they similarly punished NAVI Entity offenders. Team Spirit and Team Aster now share the first line in group B. History of Personal Meetings In the past, the teams had never met on a professional stage. The only way to compare them is through their matches against Entity Gaming on the first day of the major; if NAVI lost to Entity Gaming, the Chinese team won their match against the same team. NAVI vs Aster It appears that Team Aster is a more experienced and skilled group. It's unclear how Natus Vincere will triumph in the upcoming game. The second matchup between Team Aster and Natus Vincere in the PGL Arlington Major 2022 is set for August 5. Whichever squad is the stronger one, we'll find out soon.

Around the corner is the third and final DOTA 2 Major of the year, which is now returning to North America after a 10-year absence. 17 of the top teams in the world will compete in Arlington, Texas, for $500K which will serve as their final opportunity to earn DPC Points. Here is all the information you need to know about the PGL Arlington Major. DOTA 2 Arlington Major Schedule The DOTA 2 Third Major of 2022 will take place in Arlington, Texas, from August 4 to August 14, 2022. The final stage of the competition will be in the Esports Stadium. Unfortunately, there are no more tickets for the event, but there's plenty of room to watch it online! Qualified Teams in the DOTA 2 Arlington Major The Major will have 17 teams instead of 18. Like in previous tournaments, this year, teams are having problems securing traveling VISAS. Xtreme Gaming, the Chinese team, withdrew from the tournament entirely due to these issues while other teams will have to play with stand-ins. Fnatic will have three substitutions. Entity, Royal Never Give Up, Thunder Awaken, Talon Esports, and OG will also replace members of their squads. The 16 teams will be divided into 2 groups: Group A Group B Fnatic (SEA) Team Spirit (East Europe) PSG.LGD (China) Team Aster (China) OG (West Europe) Tundra (Western Europe) Quincy Crew (NA) Beastcoast (South America) Talon Esports (SEA) Entity (Western Europe) Thunder Awaken (South America) Boom Esports (SEA) Team Liquid (West Europe) Evil Geniuses (NA) Royal Never Give Up (China) Outsiders (East Europe) Tournament Format The top four teams from each Group compete in a single match to advance to the playoffs' upper bracket. The final two positions will be eliminated, and the fifth and sixth place finishers will move to the lower bracket. For the Main Stage, playoff series will be competed in a best-of-three format. The tournament's Grand Finals will then be a best-of-five series. DOTA 2 Arlington Major Prize Pool The Stockholm Major will have a $500,000 prize pool as well as 4,570 DPC points to be distributed as follows: 1st $200k – 820 DPC Points 2nd $100k – 740 DPC Points 3rd $75k – 670 DPC Points 4th $50k – 590 DPC Points 5th-6th $25k – 515 DPC Points 7th-8th $12.5k – 360 DPC Points Although the prize money is quite alluring, for some teams, the DPC Points awarded by the competition represent their only opportunity to ensure an entrance to The Singapore International 2022 where the true prize pool awaits.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: COLORADO ROCKIES: C | Elias Diaz FB | C.J. Cron SB | Brendan Rodgers S | Jose Iglesias TB | Ryan McMahon LF | Yonathan Daza CF | Randal Grichuk RF | Connor Joe DH | Charlie Blackmon SAN DIEGO PADRES: C | Jorge Alfaro FB | Eric Hosmer SB | Jake Cronenworth S | Ha-seong Kim TB | Manny Machado LF | Jurickson Profar CF | Trent Grisham RF | Will Myers DH | Luke Voit It’s a battle in the NL West as the San Diego Padres and Colorado Rockies go head to head this August 4, 2022, at 9:40 AM (PST). Thursday’s game is part of their extended five-game series at Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres. Colorado is currently in fifth place in NL West, recently replaced by the Arizona Diamondbacks in fourth place. Standing with a 46-60 win-loss record, the team has won three and lost seven of their last 10 games. In those three wins, two were gained from the Minnesota Twins, but that’s still not much to work with, especially against San Diego. If put side-by-side next to their competitors, the Padres have generally been the better team by a long shot; however, Colorado has an eight to three head-to-head advantage. On the other side of the diamond, the Padres haven't been their best either. Sixth in the MLB and second in the NL West, they’ve won 60 matches and lost 46. Their last victory as of this writing is in game one against the Colorado Rockies wherein it was a close 3-2. San Diego’s bullpen had quite the shaky July, but they’re steadily getting back on track. With their last three matchups with Colorado, the Padres have dominated 4-1, 13-5, and 3-2 for games one, two, and three respectively. Now that they’ve surpassed the Toronto Blue Jays on the board for sixth, higher effort is needed to permeate the top five spots. The Atlanta Braves are the next target to topple over with a record of 63-41, so it will definitely be a feat for the Padres. The Padres have already piled on Colorado for the last three games, so in terms of the upcoming game, the Rockies need to play better offensively as they’ve struggled in that department all year. With San Diego’s strong pitching staff, they’ll be capable of breaking through the Rockies if they don’t improve fast. Though even then, they’ll only be able to fend off San Diego for so long. The Padres have their weaknesses, but they know how to work around them and produce wins. The fourth game belongs to the San Diego Padres, and we don’t see it happening any other way. We just hope the Rockies give them a good fight and go down with dignity. 9:40 AM (PST), Thursday, 4 August 2022. Petco Park, San Diego, CA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: SEATTLE SOUNDERS: GK | Stefan Frei LB | Nouhou Tolo RB | Alex Roldan CB | Yeimar Gómez Andrade CB | Xavier Arreaga MF | Obed Vargas MF | Albert Rusnák MF | Cristian Roldan MF | Nicolás Lodeiro F | Jordan Morris F | Raúl Ruidíaz FC DALLAS: GK | Maarten Paes LB | Marco Farfan RB | Ema Twumasi CB | Jose Martinez CB | Matt Hedges MF | Edwin Cerrillo MF | Paxton Pomykal MF | Paul Arriola MF | Alan Velasco F | Jeses Ferreira F | Franco Jara With a shutout winning streak of two, Dallas FC is on their merry way to Washington’s Lumen Field. 10 AM in Philippine Standard Time, the Seattle Sounders and Dallas FC will go head-to-head for an intraconference game for the second time this season. Fourth in the Western Conference of the MLS, the visiting challengers have a record of 9-6-8. Before coming into this match, Dallas gained two consecutive shutout wins from Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy. The upcoming game will be their second face-off this season, the first being the one in May whereas Dallas won 2-0. Per their last 10 games, Ferreira managed 12 goals and added four assists for Dallas. Dallas currently has 32 total goals, 25 goals against, seven goal difference, and 18 assists. Waiting at home, the Seattle Sounders are 9-2-11 in conference numbers earning them ninth in the West. They’ve most recently lost to the LAFC this July 30 in a 2-1 game. Jordan Morris leads Seattle’s scorers having scored six goals with one assist for the team. Nicolas Lodeiro, Cristian Roldan, and Alex Roldan lead assists with five, four, and three respectively. The Washington team has 28 goals, 25 goals against, three goal difference, and 18 assists. Their numbers are comparatively low against their visiting team, yet Google’s prediction of win probability is in favor of the Sounders. Expectedly, the Seattle Sounders will be aiming to bury their loss(es) behind them and bring home some glory, especially since they’re one win away from climbing up the conference ladder. They’ll be facing the Dallas team who have surging power at the moment and are dedicated to lengthening their streak. Dallas is also a win away from climbing up the ladder and earning themselves the third spot. Both teams have strong motivations at the moment, and we predict both teams will play their best only to cancel each other out in a draw. They’ll be sharing the points in this one, but at least there’s no loser, right? 10:00 AM (PST), Wednesday, August 3, 2022. Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: NEW YORK YANKEES: C | Kyle Higashioka FB | Anthony Rizzo SB | DJ LeMahieu S | Isaiah Kiner-Falefa TB | Josh Donaldson LF | Joey Gallo CF | Aaron Hicks RF | Aaron Judge DH | Giancarlo Stanton SEATTLE MARINERS: C | Cal Raleigh FB | Carlos Santana SB | Adam Frazier S | J.P. Crawford TB | Eugenio Suarez LF | Jesse Winker CF | Julio Rodriguez RF | Kyle Lewis DH | Ty France One win away from sweeping the Royals, it’s safe to say the New York Yankees will confidently face the Seattle Mariners this Tuesday at Yankee Stadium. It’s no secret that the Yankees have been struggling as of late; however, do their recent wins from the Royals mean they’re stable and back on track? Or will the Mariners intervene for the Yankees to pick on someone their own size? The Seattle Mariners have won three of their last five games. The team stands with 55 wins and 47 losses, placing them second in the American League West and ninth in Major League Baseball. As of this writing, their most recent win was a narrow 5-4 against the Houston Astros. Somehow, this win might have done more damage to the team than good as that win earned five of Seattle’s players a doctor’s appointment; Mitch Haniger under 60-Day indefinite leave, Tommy Milone under 15-Day IL, Dylan Moore, Julio Rodriguez, and Sam Haggerty under day-to-day. Now, they’re in quite the bind as they visit New York in these conditions. Throughout the second part of the season, the Yankees have looked to improve their rotation. Jordan Montgomery's ERA is close to 5.00 while Jameson Taillon's is over 5.00. Nestor Cortes has delivered excellent performances with the Yankees and was an All-Star in 2022, but he can't carry the rotation by himself. Having just reclaimed the majors’ number one though, we believe there’s fire to be expected from the home team. Even more so that they’ve got the momentum going with the Royals. The odds of this matchup have come along in favor of one team more than the other, and that team is New York. It’s arguable that their wins against the Royals are well outside their level, but that does not erase the fact that the Mariners are also in a terrible position. In contrast, the Yankees ultimately are the logical choice to side with, and they’re on top of the league for a reason. It’s the Yankees this Tuesday at the Yankee Stadium. 7:05 AM (PST), Tuesday, 2 August 2022. Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: MINNESOTA TWINS: C | Gary Sanchez FB | Luis Arraez SB | Jorge Polanco S | Carlos Correa TB | Gio Urshela LF | Alex Kirilloff CF | Byron Buxton RF | Max Kepler DH | Jose Miranda SAN DIEGO PADRES: C | Jorge Alfaro FB | Eric Hosmer SB | Jake Cronenworth S | Ha-seong Kim TB | Manny Machado LF | Jurickson Profar CF | Trent Grisham RF | Will Myers DH | Luke Voit In an interleague game against the San Diego Padres, the Minnesota Twins will be paying Petco Park a visit this Monday at 4:10 AM PST. San Diego Padres will come from the National League West ranked second with 56-45. The Minnesota Twins will be representing the American League Central with 52-47, ranking first in the subgroup. Placing seventh and 13th in the league respectively, both teams are of the same ballpark, more or less. Will playing home prove to be the edge the Padres need to win this feat? The first game in this three-part series has turned in favor of the Padres in a 10-1 victory The recent win has been added to their 26-21 home record with hopes of extending it ‘til game three. The probable pitcher for San Diego in game three is Sean Manaea who possesses a 4.33 Earned Run Average (ERA), 16 home runs (HR), and 39 base on balls (BB). Visiting team, Minnesota Twins, is looking to get over their losing streak from the series’ first game and their two losses in the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers. They currently reign over AL Central, but the Cleveland Guardians (51-48) are trailing too close behind for comfort. Dylan Bundy is expected to pitch for the upcoming game, and the said player has a 5.02 ERA, 13 HR, and 19 BB. Looking into this match, the Twins are offering greater value and odds in the matchup. The Padres have been beyond inconsistent and ineffective even when playing at home. Prior to this series, they had already lost two of three games to the Tigers. It’s understood how the Padres might be favored since they’re playing at home, but Joe Ryan of the Twins is proving more and more to be a threat as he excels. Only allowing two or fewer runs in four consecutive starts and sporting a 2.05 ERA for the month, Ryan is one of the top pitchers even though Manaea is expected to be the starting pitcher on Minnesota's staff. There’s great value with him and therefore the team. The Twins will be taking this one home. 4:10 AM (PST), Monday, 1 August 2022. Petco Park, San Diego, CA.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: NEW YORK YANKEES: C | Kyle Higashioka FB | Anthony Rizzo SB | DJ LeMahieu S | Isaiah Kiner-Falefa TB | Josh Donaldson LF | Joey Gallo CF | Aaron Hicks RF | Aaron Judge DH | Giancarlo Stanton KANSAS CITY ROYALS: C | MJ Melendez FB | Hunter Dozier SB | Whit Merrifield S | Bobby Witt TB | Nicky Lopez LF | Andrew Benintendi CF | Kyle Isbel RF | Edward Olivares DH | Vinnie Pasquantino After experiencing turbulence in their last set of games, the Yankees were able to win their first face-off against the Royals with a home run from Judge this Friday. It’s the New York Yankees versus the Kansas City Royals this Sunday, July 31st, 2022 at the Yankee Stadium in NY. Aaron Judge yet again saves the troubled Yankees with his walk-off 1-0 win over the Royals. The Yankees struggle with their offensive play, and they visibly haven't been their best recently. In Friday’s game, they struggled with their runners and consequently, their scorers. Fortunately, they just needed one momentous swing from Aaron Judge to salvage the game and the team. Jordan Montgomery is expected to pitch for Sunday's game, and so far we don’t know what to expect yet due to their recent performances. Montgomery has a decent ERA of 3.50, a WHIP of 1.08, and 91 strikeouts. The Royals, on the other hand, have been showing linear improvement as of late. Though they lost to the Yankees last Friday, there’s no denying how they kept the final score to 1-0. Against one of the more intimidating teams in the league, that was a pretty good job for their defense. Besides getting better at defense, the Kansas representatives’ offense has been amped up this July. Fairly recently, they opened their series against the Angels with a 7-0 win and won twice in a 3-game series against the Rays. No pitcher has been named for the upcoming game yet, but with the difficulty Brady Singer imposed on the Yankees in the first game, he’d be a good choice along with Brad Keller who has the best ERA in the Royals. Ultimately, this prediction would’ve been an easier feat if not for the Yankees’ inconsistencies; however, it shows how the Royals can pack up a pleasant surprise— at least on their part. With all things considered, the Yankees have earned our trust. They might have been fumbling recently, but we’re expecting a surge of a sense of urgency as the LA Dodgers have replaced them at the top spot. Not to mention, their neck-and-neck win against the Royals can serve as a good jump-off point into getting back into their rhythm. Still, we don’t see Kansas giving away this game that easily all the same. The Yankees will need to put in the extra effort to earn this win from the dedicated Royals, but best believe they’ll still get it. 2:05 AM (PST), Sunday, 31 July 2022. Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: TORONTO BLUE JAYS: C | Danny Jansen FB | Vladimir Guerrero SB | Cavan Biggio S | Bo Bichette TB | Matt Chapman LF | Lourdes Gurriel CF | George Springer RF | Teoscar Hernandez DH | Alejandro Kirk DETROIT TIGERS: C | Tucker Barnhart FB | Spencer Torkelson SB | Jonathan Schoop S | Javier Baez TB | Jeimer Candelario LF | Austin Meadows CF | Akil Baddoo RF | Robbie Grossman DH | Miguel Cabrera This Saturday night is the second match of the four-game series of the Toronto Blue Jays versus the Detroit Tigers. After winning twice against the San Diego Padres, the Tigers will be gearing up for better odds against the Blue Jays in their own arena, Rogers Centre. Conversely, Toronto was enjoying a winning streak of seven up until they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1. Following the All-Star break, the Tigers were met with a slow start as they consecutively lost three games after winning against Oakland. This MLB season, specifically the first half, Detroit has been among the worst teams playing, but we won’t be discrediting the effort the Tigers are exerting to be productive this second half. In the American League Central, they rank fourth while 26th in the league. The Detroit team is 13 games behind the final AL Wild Card spot. It’s not looking too good, but that doesn’t mean they’re the definite losers against their opposing team. Standing at 7th in the MLB, Toronto has been superb on the baseball field since the end of the first half of the ‘22 season. Contrary to the Tigers, the Blue Jays started their second half with a sweep in their Boston series— even had a 28-5 win in their first returning game! The Blue Jays are undoubtedly one of the best offensive teams in the MLB and not to mention that they also rank fifth in home runs this season, hitting 127 long balls. Dearly holding onto the top AL Wild Card spot, the Blue Jays still have a long way to go if they want to level up to the Dodgers, Yankees, and Astros this season. In this analysis, we’ve taken into consideration one aspect more than the numbers and that’s the injuries. Injuries, especially those of a prized player, can be a momentous disadvantage to a team yet a sizeable advantage to their opponents. In the case of this game, Blue Jays’ Yusei Kikuchi will likely be staying off the field for his slow but steady return from a neck injury. Detroit might definitely be the underdog as they do not have a strong lineup among other things. Still, they are capable of causing trouble and winning if Kikuchi’s struggles prevail. 7:07 AM, Saturday, July 30, 2022. Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: NEW YORK YANKEES: C | Kyle Higashioka FB | Anthony Rizzo SB | DJ LeMahieu S | Isaiah Kiner-Falefa TB | Josh Donaldson LF | Joey Gallo CF | Aaron Hicks RF | Aaron Judge DH | Giancarlo Stanton KANSAS CITY ROYALS: C | MJ Melendez FB | Hunter Dozier SB | Whit Merrifield S | Bobby Witt TB | Nicky Lopez LF | Andrew Benintendi CF | Kyle Isbel RF | Edward Olivares DH | Vinnie Pasquantino Flying back home from Baltimore, the New York Yankees will be settling in their nest once again to welcome to Kansas City Royals. Having been at the top for so long, have the Yankees grown too complacent? After losing twice to the Cincinnati Reds, once to Boston Red Sox, swept by the Houston Astros, and losing 6-3 to the Baltimore Orioles, they’ve collected six losses in their last 10 games. Now, they’re in trouble as the Los Angeles Dodgers are closer to their coveted number one spot than ever. We’d usually think the Yankees going up against a team like the Royals are an easy prediction, but with the current inconsistency shown by the Yankees and the powerhouse within the Royals, we might just be surprised. The New York Yankees have always been well-known especially now as they’re first in the American League East and the entire MLB with 65-31. The Dodgers are at a close second with 63-30, officially being the team with the least number of losses in the league. The Yankees have been able to establish a safe distance in the previous months, but what’s happened? Well for starters, the NY bullpen is overworked, and many players are injured. With regards to their most recent loss to the Orioles, Gerrit Cole was not able to hold his leads. During the fourth inning, the Yankees weren’t able to score either, and the Orioles took control of the game. The Royals might have been easy targets then, but Andrew Benintendi’s presence makes them unpredictable. Being such a good player, everyone including the Yankees wants him. From the simple numbers alone, there’s an apparent disparity between the two teams in a side-by-side comparison: AVG R H HR OBP SLG ERA WHIP BB K NYY .245 514 789 164 .331 .445 3.18 1.09 246 878 KC .245 362 768 76 .308 .378 4.81 1.48 362 677 Being 26th in the league also spells ‘underdog’ for the contenders from Kansas City, but we’ve come to learn time and time again that we cannot base on these alone. The Royals have won three of their last five games, twice against the Tampa Bay Rays and once against the LA Angels. Benintendi is definitely spicing things up, and with the rocky trajectory the Yankees are heading, we’ll go out on a limb and go behind the Kansas City. It’s a risk we’re willing to take, and besides, it’s no fun if the big guys always win, right? 7:05 AM (PST), Friday, 29 July 2022. Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LOS ANGELES DODGERS: RF | Mookie Betts SS | Trea Turner 1B | Freddie Freeman C | Will Smith DH | Hanser Alberto LF | Trayce Thompson 3B | Max Muncy CF | Cody Bellinger 2B | Gavin Lux WASHINGTON NATIONALS: RF | Juan Soto SS | Ehire Adrianza 1B | Josh Bell C | Tres Barrera DH | Nelson Cruz LF | Lane Thomas 3B | Maikel Franco CF | Victor Robles 2B | César Hernández This Tuesday, hosted at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, the Boys in Blue will be pitching against the Washington Nationals for the first of a four-series matchup between the two teams. Will Washington finally be able to secure a win against the Dodgers after four consecutive losses to them back in 2021, or will history go on to repeat itself? The Los Angeles Dodgers have been having an amazing run this season and have been able to keep their first place spot in the National League for quite some time, with a current 63 wins and 30 losses. Their last 10 games have ended in nine victories and only one loss. When it comes to home games, the Blue Crew are in their element, having won 36 home games and only losing 16. The only time that one may question the Dodger's capabilities in the diamond is during their away games when they don’t play at their peak, having only won 32 away games and losing a hefty 21. First base Freddie Freeman is one to look at for this game with a batting average of .324, alongside right fielder teammate Mookie Betts who holds 22 home runs. Seeing as the game will take place at the Dodger Stadium, the Blue Crew have a lot more confidence running up against the Washington Nationals this Tuesday. In terms of injuries for the Dodgers, they’ve got Chris Taylor (10-day il), Justin Turner (Day-to-day), Blake Treinen (60-day il), Dustin May (60-day il), Brudsar Graterol (15-day il), and Walker Buehler (60-day il) all carrying injuries as of the 23rd of July. Joining the LA Dodgers in the diamond, we’ve got the Washington Nationals who haven’t had the best season with 31 wins and a shocking 65 losses, leaving them at fifth place in the National League East. The team has been struggling this season, making it worrisome for their upcoming match against the Dodgers as they have not had a good track record against the team ever since last year, unable to win at least one out of the four games played. However, the Nationals have had a better track record with their away games over their home games so far into the season with only 34 losses compared to 42 losses in their home games. This may give them a slight edge in the upcoming match, but it is questionable as to whether it would be enough against the superstar team that is the LA Dodgers. In terms of players, the Nats have Josh Bell and Juan Soto as team leaders. Bell holds a batting average of .305 and an RBI of 50. On the other end, Juan Soto has a total of 20 home runs and an OBP of .399. Will these two, alongside their team, be enough to hold their ground against the Dodgers? That’s what we will be going to find out. Considering that the LA Dodgers have had an amazing season thus far and shine their best during their home games, it is looking pretty grim for the Washington Nationals this upcoming game, especially after their not-so-smooth run this season. Thus, the odds are in the favor of the LA Dodgers in this game. 10:10 AM (PST), Tuesday, July 26, 2022. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California.

POTENTIAL STARTING LINEUPS: LA GALAXY: GK | Jonathan Bond LB | Chase Gasper RB | Julián Araujo CB | Derrick Williams CB | Séga Coulibaly MF | Raheem Edwards MF | Sacha Kljestan MF | Víctor Vázquez CF | Efraín Álvarez F | Dejan Joveljić F | Douglas Costa ATLANTA UNITED: GK | Rocco Ríos Novo LB | Juan Jose Sanchez Purata RB | George Campbell CB | Alex DeJohn CB | Alan Franco MF | Thiago Almada MF | Matheus Rossetto MF | Marcelino Moreno CF | Dom Dwyer F | Luiz Araújo F | Josef Martínez With a chance to win their first-ever victory against Atlanta United, LA Galaxy will be hosting their rivals at the Dignity Health Sports Park this Monday, July 25, for an exciting matchup that may secure a final playoff spot for Los Angeles or push Atlanta up closer to the final postseason place in their respective conferences. This far into the season, LA Galaxy hasn’t been holding up too well and is coming from a string of four losses in their past five games with only one win against Montréal. They currently stand in seventh place in the Western Conference with eight wins, three draws, and nine losses, racking up a total of 27 points. Their biggest problem seems to be their unorganized and timid defensive line, which seemed to be resolved a year ago but has come back continuously throughout the season with many conceded goals. On top of that, they haven’t been very strong starters throughout the season, rarely tallying a score in the first 45 minutes of their games. However, this does not mean the Galaxy is without some hefty players. The players to watch out for this upcoming match include Dejan Joveljic with eight goals in 18 matches and Samuel Grandsir with three assists in 20 matches. On the other end of the pitch, Atlanta United seem to be in a similar position as well having only won one out of their last five games with two draws and losses. They are looking to be at a stagnant point at the moment, which is a bit worrisome considering they only have 14 matches left to play. At the moment, they stand at a troubling 11th place in the Eastern Conference with six wins, six draws, and eight losses, giving them a total of 24 points, just below New England. However, in their last two games, they have shown good technical ability and were able to keep possession of the ball for long stretches of time needed for plays. The players to watch out for from the Five Stripes are Josef Martínez with five goals in 13 matches and Thiago Almada with five assists in 15 matches. When looking at the head-to-head record of both teams, it is evident that Atlanta United has previously dominated LA Galaxy; however, with Atlanta United being in a rocky spot at the moment, the odds are in favor of a tie between the two teams. 9:30 AM (PST), Monday, July 25, 2022. Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California.